The present invention relates generally to infrared target detection systems, and more particularly, to a novel method and apparatus for indirectly detecting a low-flying, fast moving target by utilizing an infrared detector to detect the radiant energy reflected by the target off of the rough ocean surface, despite the presence of solar clutter on the ocean.
Presently available infrared target detection systems for detecting the presence of a low-flying, fast-moving target (e.g., a cruise missile or an enemy aircraft) over the ocean rely upon direct detection of the target, which means that the power of the radiant energy within the field of view of the detection system increases monotonically as the target moves directly towards the infrared sensor array of the detection system. Such presently available infrared target detection systems have difficulty in discriminating the target from the solar energy reflected off of the water (i.e., the solar clutter or solar glitter), thereby necessitating the use of complex signal analysis algorithms and/or higher-resolution sensors. However, even with such expensive measures, the existing infrared target detection systems do not have sufficiently rapid response times and/or are not sufficiently reliable for certain applications, e.g., for detection of surface-skimming cruise missiles in the presence of solar clutter.
Based on the above, it can be appreciated that there presently exists a need in the art for an infrared detection system which is capable of accurately and reliably detecting low-flying, fast-moving targets over the ocean, in the presence of solar glitter. The present invention fulfills this need in the art.